Pillars of Strength

Focus

Attacking Systems, Defensive Systems.

Skills

Preliminary Moves & Passing, Footwork & Agility, Defensive Moves, Vision & Quick Decisions.

Purpose

Static players are the outlets for players to use as they move the ball down the court, evading defenders.

Players

8⁺

Ages

6⁺

Balls

Cones

Distance (max)

Setup
Use one third of the court. Half the group start as attackers with a ball each (blue players in diagram) on the transverse line, like the start of a game of Red Rover (British Bulldog). The remaining players are a mix of stationary attackers (yellow) and defenders (red) who spread out inside the playing area. Stationary players should outnumber defenders by about 2:1.
Step 1
(A-D) start by passing to any stationary attacker (yellow), while defenders (red) try to intercept.

Stationary attackers (yellow) can not move from their spot, but can turn 360 degrees.

Encourage 1-on-1 defence for beginners. Experienced defensive units can also play zone defence or offline defence

Sagging defence is forbidden to stop defenders from simply covering the stationary players
Step 2
Attackers (A-D) must complete a double play to get their ball back each time

Defenders also attempt to intercept the return passes
Step 3
Sometimes if progress down-court isn't possible, it may be necessary to pass backwards to avoid a 3-second violation. Work the ball through the playing area to the safe zone (over the 2nd transverse line)
Step 4
If a player's pass is intercepted, they can either add to the tally of defenders to increase difficulty, or simply sit out.